Finch fires again to extend T20 hot streak

Aaron Finch has continued his incredible hot streak of form in Twenty20 cricket, blasting his sixth half-century in his past nine innings.

Finch struck 83 from 38 balls for Surrey in England's domestic T20 competition, helping the South London club to rack up 6-250 in their 20 overs, the highest score in the history of the competition, and fourth-highest domestic T20 score ever.

Rain meant there was no result in the match, but it seems nothing can douse Finch's hot form at the moment. Australia's T20 captain has struck an incredible 662 runs in his past nine T20 matches since resuming leadership of the national team.

Finch averages an astonishing 94.57 in that run over the past month, and his runs have come from 343 balls, giving him a strike rate of 193.

He's hit 34 sixes and 58 fours plundering bowling attacks from England, Pakistan, Zimbabwe at international level, as well as county sides Essex, Sussex and Kent.

His streak has seen him overtake Shane Watson to be T20 cricket's 11th-hightest all-time run scorer with 7,223 runs to his name, and is now just 183 outside the top 10 .

Finch's latest exploits came on an entertaining night of T20 action in England, headlined by a thrilling one-run win by Lancashire over arch-rivals Yorkshire at Old Trafford.

In a match reduced to 14 overs per side, Lancashire reached 2-176. Yorkshire, guided by Joe Root's unbeaten 51, needed a four to win off the final ball, but Kiwi captain Kane Williamson could only manage two.

Lancashire's Aussie allrounder James Faulkner didn't bat but picked up a key wicket as his three overs went for 1-32.

Former England international Ian Bell struck 131 from 62 balls for Birmingham as they played out a tie with Northampton with both sides finishing on 5-231 from their 20 overs. There is no Super Over in league matches of England's domestic T20 competition.

In Cardiff, Usman Khawaja struck 44 as opener but the recently-arrived Joe Burns was stumped for 5 as their Glamorgan side failed to chase down Somerset's 5-190.

Travis Head top scored for Worcester with 40 from 37-balls at No.3, falling LBW to Imran Tahir as his side managed 121 against Durham, with Ben Stokes taking 4-16. He then hit 43 as opener as his side enjoyed a comfortable seven-wicket win.

Ashton Agar bowled three economical but wicketless overs that conceded 25 as Middlesex bowled Hampshire out for 184, but the West Australian was run out on three as Hampshire claimed a 21-run win.

Completing the round-up of Australians in action, Dan Christian had a quiet night for Nottingham, taken for 49 from four wicketless overs and scoring 8 in a 17-run defeat to a Leicester side that featured Mark Cosgrove (9 from 12).